Jump to content
Urch Forums

Hints and tips for the reading part please


Shuby

Recommended Posts

Hello, I wonder if it is preferable to read the questions before, or read the whole text then answer the questions?

I need just 70 pts, i'm good in writing and listenning, average in speaking(depends on the prompts) but i need to improve my reading, when I practice I cant get more than 18:mad: ! and I'm afraid I fail in the speaking.

My exam is in the 9th december.

Thank you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 4 weeks later...

hahaa, sounds funny

please do read the passage Shuby even I am very impatient when I see the passage I want to attack the questions right away and yes you can attack first few question right away like the questions asking for meaning of certain words. As of the rest you need to read the passage

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well you know what happened to me.. In one of the passages, I tried to look at the question first then find the answer in the text, because I had no much time left... and I don't think i did that well because some of those questions were about details and reference.. so you'd have to read the text, and know what exactly is it about... overall, the concentration is the key.. that was what happened to me I couldnt concentrate myself and i think i did very poor..

However, you can read, quicky, to have a basic idea about the passage, then answer the questions, remember the timing is very important.. some of those questions took me like 2 minutes because I had to read again to find the answer and lack of concentration totally knocked me down..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I start with the questions first. Usually there is a marker point at the paragraph where you have to find answer. Then read everything in that particular paragraph. I end up reading all the passage anyway and I think it helps to answer the last questions after each passage. I don't know if it will work with everybody, but it works for me.

 

Sometime the choices seem so tricky. I just tried to read it very carefully in the first time, so that I don't have to go back and read it again. The questions that ask the synonym/definition of a particular word should be the easiest one you can answer in less than a minute. Then you can have more time for longer or more complicated questions.

 

Hope it helps.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

i think there is no time to read the whole passage before starting to answer.it's better if you read only the 1st paragraph ,just to have a general idea about the passage and may be the 1st sentense from the following paragraphs, this should take about 2 minutes.

my strategy is to leave 5 minutes for the last questions ,since it worth the highest points, i did that and i got 25 although i didnt finish all the questions.

i guess i answered it right , thats why i got this high score.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This particular thread is very important especially for test takers who find reading section quite challenging. So, let us continue to help one onother by posting strategies.

 

Here are some lists of additional techniques:

 

1. Extreme use of words on the sentence such as all, must, none, always, etc. are most of the time wrong answers. However, we do still need to read the passage carefully to avoid mistakes and misunderstandings.

2. If possible work on the difficult question once done answering doable questions--vocabularies; referents/pronouns/nouns (it, them, those, that, etc.), ( I can't think other easy questions) :rolleyes:

3. Read every question carefully. Decoding and repharasing questions are helpful as well.

4. On simplifying complex sentences; choices that only repeat or copy the parts of highlighted sentence are most of the time not the right answer.

5. Choosing choices/information that are not mentioned on the passage are generally not the right answer.

6. On summarizing the passage, pay atttention on the given topic and stick into it. Include major details that support the given topic and ignore minor details that not support the topic statement (mostly examples are not included.)

7. Paying attention on the final/last paragraph of the passage is important, because it serves as a conclusion.

8.Knowing the purpose of the passage and its structure helps test taker to follow on the flow of the details/information.

 

We can able to pass the toelf if we help one onother.:tup:.. Hope somebody can post strategies on listening, speaking and writing too...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Some people prefer to look at the questions first before reading the passage so they will just have to look for the answer. Others will tell you to do a quick scan before attacking the question. Which do you prefer and why? Hahaha

 

Nah seriously, scan first so you will know where in the passage will you find the answers. Also, this gives you a mental note on what the passage is about and allow you to adapt to its difficulty and style of writing. It will also help you in the summarization section where you'll have to drag and drop three boxes yada yada.

 

This is an exhausting section and whats worst, its the first section of the exam. Try to save your strength for the succeeding parts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hiiiiiii everybody....

please,please,please I need some advice to pass my TOEFL ibt with high score. I did very bad in my first exam one month ago and I have to do it again in May. My weakness are both reading and listening. I just registerd in this site to obtain some help if its possible.

Best luck for all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the key to the reading part is having good vocabulary ,you can enhance yours by:

1- studing books like ( 400 must have words for the TOEFL test ),even you find it difficult, trust me,its very helpful.

2-Also you can read newspapers, scientific magazines which have similar articles to what we find in the test. try to guess the meaning of the difficult words ,then grab your dictionary and see if you were right.

3-write the words you learned in its actual sentences in your notebook, because of course everyword may have more than 1 meaning,also it's more easier to study and memorize .

Hiiiiiii everybody....

please,please,please I need some advice to pass my TOEFL ibt with high score. I did very bad in my first exam one month ago and I have to do it again in May. My weakness are both reading and listening. I just registerd in this site to obtain some help if its possible.

Best luck for all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Here are some tips for reading,

1) Give some time in start (1 minute) to know what the author is talking about....(focus in the first paragraphs)

2) Scan how the author builds the rest of the passages

3) Read the coclusion carefully

4) Total time for step 1-2-3 should be not more than 5 minutes

5) Think for 30 sec and make a brief idea about the passage in yr mind

6) Look the questions now::

7) If it's just asking for a meaning answer it straightly don't go back to the passage

8) Question refering to the passage : better to go back to the paragraph and locate the answer....(it's not that difficult believe me)

9) The real challenge is with the infer question or the chronological order or the table question if you can save some time : Spend on these type of question

10) Give enough time to read in varieties of materials,, like newspaper, sport news,... and other related content

11) If you really think you messed up make a wise guess (don't be blind)

12) recongnize traps and extrapolation

 

13) if this doesnot help write to me at bodhach@yahoo.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

My strategy is:

 

- I generally get done with the first passage in less than 20 minutes. I want to leave time for the last 2 passages, in case they are longer and more difficult. (They are most of the time)

 

- I spend 5 minutes reading the passage. I don't skim, I read the passage entirely. Do this if you can in 5 minutes.

 

- Then, I answer the questions. I skip a question, if I'm stuck on it for more than 45 seconds - 1 minute.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...